COURSE REVIEWS

Readers Tee Off:
Letters to the GolfCalifornia.com Editor

A Different Perspective on
Monarch Bay Golf Club

I'm sorry to differ with you, but Monarch Bay is an absolute mess. I received the latest NCGA magazine with Monarch Bay as its cover piece. It looked so beautiful I had to play it. When played there about a month or so ago. Half the fairways were ripped up, with ground under repair on almost every hole. Sometimes half of a whole fairway was under repair. There were also people walking all over the course seeding the fairways, with no notice that someone was actually playing the hole. Never once did anyone who worked at the course alert us to these problems prior to us playing there. I must say though that we did talk with management, and they are going to give us a comp for play when they shape up the course. I would not have minded so much if they had told me about the course conditions. I took a day off work to play on a course in very bad condition.

Mary Armstrong
San Francisco, CA Feedback on the Mountain Course at Robinson Ranch Golf Club

Poor choice for June - temps were over 100, while only in 70's in LA Basin. Nice design, fairly good condition (especially greens & traps). Excellent pace. Difficult course with shot accuracy key to a successful round. OB (protected by rattlers) too close to course resulting in many lost balls. Cart path only - a bummer. Not particularly service-oriented, as cart girl was out sick so no beverage cart (remember it was over 100 degrees). Given all the hype, I was expecting a country club experience, but it was not. There are better courses in the LA area for less money. New clubhouse may improve service - but employee attitude was not customer-oriented. Would not play here again.

Darryl Rich
darryl.rich@att.net Disappointing Service at PGA West

Having just played at six courses in Scottsdale and being treated at each like royalty, to say the service at PGA West was a disapointment is an understatement.
1. Staff - very unfriendly bordering on rude
2. No drinking water on the course - the container on the carts lasted about 4 holes - no problem for those of us who are use to playing in 110 degrees but necessary for us Brits.
3. Drinks cart appeared once on the 5th hole.
4. Course ranger was sent back to clubhouse to get us more liquid on the 11th but never returned.
5. No starter on the first so we never found out that we were joining up with someone until the guy chased us down the first fairway.
6. No one therefore around to explain any local rules or cart restrictions.
7. Only yardage markers were on the occassional sprinkler head - great if you want to know distance to the pin but you have no idea of the distance to the water\bunkers from the tee. All Scottsdale courses provided free course yardage books.
8. Asked for an earlier tee time for the next day and even though times were available they refused to move us from our current booking because we had booked from a "Wholesaler"???
9. No bag tags unless you want to spend another 10US$ - a minor point but hey they were free as apart of the service everywhere we went in scottsdale.
10. No one seemed interested in hearing any complaint that we might have.
Just as well Palm Springs is a great area and just as well the couses themselves at PGA West (Nicklaus and Stadium) are superb because they have no idea about service. I would suggest that the manager at PGA West takes a visit to TPC Scottsdale, Grayhawk or Troon North to see how it should be done!!!!!

Chris Shaw
chris@professionallink.co.uk Half Moon Bay Full of Surprises

The Ocean Course at Half Moon Bay, California, 30 minutes south of San Francisco, is a Pebble Beach experience at a fraction of the cost financially and emotionally! For US$130, and readily available tee times, you can experience the magnificent beauty of the California coast while playing a course designed for week-end golfers. It is not an easy course but it is forgiving and allows one to score well.

I have played Pebble, Spyglass and Spanish Bay and now prefer the beauty and personal satisfaction of playing the Ocean Course at Half Moon Bay.

Dr. Francoise Lepage
San Rafael, California
flepage@earthlink.net Skyrocketing Golf Prices
Nov. 23, 1999

Why doesn't somebody conquer the question of how to keep middle to low income golfers involved on decent courses? The "good" courses are now starting to separate groups of people, classes of people by virtue of their outrageous prices.

Unless you have the big bucks, you no longer have the opportunity to play the great courses. I've heard that places like Pebble Beach is going to raise their green fees to nearly $600 after the Open. Is this true? If it is, why can't we create a trend in golf course design that incorporates low pricing with good course design?

The courses which typically end up being affordable are so user friendly that they don't create a challenge that keeps the lower handicap golfer interested. One may say that challenging courses cost so much to make that they can't played for less than $65.

• Past California course reviews and features.

I say that's just an excuse to pinch as much as they can out of a person and keep the lower income individuals stuck over on the $8 farm courses that have few trees and NO bunkers.

Why don't we start inviting the community to help in their courses? We see communities sponsor gardens, housing projects, community buildings, etc. etc. etc. why can't we do the same for community golf course facilities? I love golf, but I can't afford it anymore. Somebody should spearhead efforts to reduce golf fees in the industry. What are we going to tell all the kids who want to grow up and be like Tiger?

This is the sport of integrity and self reliance, it is a sport that lets you compete with yourself, it is a sport that supports truthfulness to yourself and courtesy to others. If we outprice the veteran golfers and the up and coming young enthusiasts who will carry on the rich traditions that golf has given us? Probably only the wealthy...that would be a shame.

Blake Delaney
Ames, Iowa
blakedelaney@hotmail.com Dear Family and Friends of Payne Stewart,
Nov. 18, 1999

I first met Payne at the Ryder Cup this year. What a gentleman and what a devoted player and fan of golf.

To Tracey, Aaron and Chelsea. You should be proud to know that your husband and father is now with his father. He will watch over you and keep you safe all the days of your lives.

I know this is a late condolence however, I felt it was not the time to write while all was so fresh.

Payne's compassion for his family, the game and his fans was beyond comparison. I pray that more men and women will follow in a man amongst men's footsteps.

Thank you Lord for letting us have Payne and thank you Tracey for letting us share him.

Our Love and deepest sympathies go out to you, Payne's family and the world of golf. He will be sorely missed.

Bill Murdico
digital@choice.net Reader Responds to the Anti-Pro

Dear "Anti-Pro": I just read your Anti-Pro column, "Confusion Feeds the Golf Industry" in Rockiesgolf.com. What is the difference between people shelling out their hard earned dollars on a local pro or sending you their money on blind faith because you have a website and a video?

Do you have them videotape their swings from 3 angles and send you a copy for your personal analysis?

After 15 years of struggle, a local pro who refused to band-aid my problems rebuilt my swing in 6 lessons. I'm now shooting low 80's and dropping rapidly. How do you tell a 6' 6" golfer that they may need some equipment adjustments, or would you let them let them hit toe-deep pushes for the rest of their lives?

Does your videotape stop you in mid-swing on the range and say "That position may feel good to you because you have swung like that for 12 years, but you really need to be in this position." I don't think so.

Your "just swing the club" philosophy is great in theory, and now sounds easy to me after finding an simple, correct swing after 15 years of struggle, but as a young teen who was self-taught at a summer junior golf program (that if you were moving the club you received no attention from the pro) a horrible slice.

I loved your article until I went to your website. You can't blast an industry for making money on the unknowing masses who are flocking to the courses, and then turn around and charge them for the "cure all" videotape. Last time I checked it was free to go see the Pope if he came to town.

Scott Anderson